Theatre of Darkness: Yamishibai - The Old Well

So... this is pretty odd. First and foremost, this special is at a disadvantage compared to reviews of the series for each individual season. When you review a show like this season by season, it is more often than not just about the general vibe from popcorn-watching these shorts, just binging a full hour or more with this anthology. If one story doesn't appeal to you, then you can see if the next one in a couple minutes is more your speed. If all of them were just ok and none stood out to you, then you could just cozy up with the vibes andstart playing the next season. At least, that's how I've approached this show until now. This individual special was something of a chore to find, too. I did way too much deep-diving amongst the more"alternative" methods of streaming before realizing that it was wedged in the middle of last season on Crunchyroll, lol. Thanks, guys. OVA or specials like this don't warrant a different category? Anyway... The story was mid. Was ok. Not great, not awful. Somewhat reminiscent of the Ring. What I found most distracting was the video format, as its aspect ratio is, in my mind's eye, somewhat similar to that of a TikTok video. Or a webtoon. Just very vertical-oriented, in contrast to the typical format for the rest of the series. I don't know if there are any other concrete reasons behind this choice, though I admit I can kind of see from an artistic standpoint how the more elongated view parallels that of the well, but... the internet ruined such a format, in my opinion, to be anything but a manner or vertical recording, as that's how my mind seems determined to interpret it. The effect is somewhat lost and just sadly becomes more jarring, and not in the good way. Other than that though, well... another Yami Shibai episode.